Cary, NC – Many religious organizations love to do good works with heartful intentions, dedicated labor and a common vision. One Cary church has led the way in doing good works by combining the elbow grease and love of lobsters. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Cary is holding its 11th annual “Lobster Fest” on Saturday, October 7, 2017.

Lobster Fest

A truckload of live lobsters, brought down overnight from Maine, has delighted the taste buds of hundreds of diners, but the real magic is the longer term benefits those diners make possible with their purchases. Ted Straub, the original “Lobster Man” of the festival, shared with me that the event raises more than $15,000 each year and monies go straight to outreach programs (that is, activities that benefit the wider community) as well as youth and other projects at St. Paul’s. And in addition, a collection of canned goods is taken up each Lobster Fest that are delivered to the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina.

The over-200 volunteers have their work cut out for them in 2017: preparing hundreds of pounds’ worth of delicious lobsters. While live lobsters are sold for those who prefer their own kitchen work, most pick up cooked 1.5 lbs. lobsters and the church has perfected a “Quarta Pounda Lobsta Roll” served on grilled La Farm Bakery brioche. Diners can also purchase complete Lobster Meals (with indoor or outdoor seating and live music) and Party Pack Specials which are delivered to purchasers by volunteers. Over 3,000 lobsters and rolls were served.

The Fest organizers shared another treasure: a recipe for “Bishop’s Lobster Bisque” created by Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States, who is based in Raleigh and who has visited St Paul’s Cary frequently in the past decade.